Metabolism and the Behavior of Juvenile Mice Elicited By Inescapable-Predator Stress

Study background: Traumatic stress in early life can have long-term effects on neurobiological systems and result in more-pronounced responses to stress exposure in adulthood, which may underlie an increased risk of psychiatric disorders such as depression and anxiety disorder (including post-traumatic stress disorder). Acute stress in early life activates the brain kynurenine (KYN) pathway, the main tryptophan (TRP) metabolic pathway, which shares TRP with the serotonin (5-HT) pathway. Although the activated KYN pathway is known to play an important role in the pathophysiology of depression, it may also be related to neurobiological changes elicited by stress. In addition, early-life acute stress induces prolonged behavioral changes such as disinhibition and/or reduced anxiety. Thus, a drug that inhibits the activation of the KYN pathway elicited by early-life stress ma